Taking on the tradition of still-life painting, a new exhibition opens this week with a collection exploring the simple vase of flowers in a contemporary idiom. Using found images and real flowers as references, artist Selina Scerri has created a collection that presents larger-than-life floral bouquets exploring different materials and floral representations through painting.

Scerri explores domesticity and boredom by attempting to shed a new light on vases full of flowers, imbuing them with a magical character.

The artworks on show are presented as windows into the world’s soul that seems to have a contemporary and profound need to connect back with nature. In doing so, the viewer is invited to crave the natural habitat that is often lacking in our cosmopolitan life.

 Scerri is a Malta-based artist who explores artistic traditional themes in an unapologetically contemporary, overtly feminine way.

Romantic and idealistic in her naive forms, her current work focuses on the  tradition of still life and florals in painting, by drawing inspiration from the great masters such as Van Gogh, Matisse and Cezanne. Since graduating from Central Saint Martin’s College, she has been very active as an artist and has exhibited in Italy, England and Malta.

Efflorescence, the exhibition, will run for two weeks at 111 Art Gallery in Ta’ Xbiex, starting from the opening night on October 9 until October 23. All works will also be available online simultaneously. For information, visit www.111art.gallery or contact artgallery@111art.gallery.